#trick driver

(art by KoruXypress on DeviantArt)

One thing I appreciate about the Pathfinder core setting is that it finds ways to incorporate a little of everything.

You are all by this point very familiar with the well-known examples of this: things like warring kingdoms, science and sorcery ancient spaceship crashes, ruin-riddled ancient empires, and all are just a few examples, but when we start to move further away from the Inner Sea Region, we start to see some curious dips away from medieval fantasy, and even see a few influences from later eras of real-world history.

This is where we see things like magical arcades in certain metropolises in Tian Xia, and more relevant to today’s entry, steam-powered vehicles in Alkenstar.

Whether it’s boats, wheeled machines, or even rare flying dirigibles and other vessels, self-propelled machines are a game changer, putting direct control of the vehicle in the hands of the driver, rather than having to manage pulling animals.

In this way, the vehicle almost becomes an extension of the driver’s body as they learn to feel it’s limits and how hard they can push them.

And with that, we can see how trick drivers, who push their vehicles to the limit and perform feats of agility with them, can really shine, drifting and sliding in chases or potentially in traditional battle.

Now, obviously if your campaign doesn’t use such vehicles, this archetype doesn’t seem necessary, but if it does, it might be worth considering.

The base dedication for this archetype grants greater mastery of driving, intuitively piloting any vehicle by feel rather than intellectual knowledge, all using one skill for flying, floating, and rolling vehicles alike.

Such drivers are also very good at optimizing their speed, making improvements to the vehicle itself and choosing a course that minimizes slowdown, allowing them to cut down on long-distance travel time.

Normally one has to slow down to make a turn with a vehicle, but some master the art of hairpin turns, letting them Akira slide or the flying/boating equivalent to change their facing while continuing to move.

Boarding a moving vehicle is very dangerous, but for some this is old hat, letting them quickly get to the controls in one fluid motion.

Some apply their high-speed antics in more tactical scenarios, pushing the speed of the vehicle in the short term rather than the long term.

A moving vehicle can be a deadly weapon in the hands of some pilots, and some train to maximize this, running over and ramming larger targets than normal.

Combat driving wouldn’t be the same if you couldn’t attack while driving too, and some drivers do exactly that, maintaining control and striking foes as they move past.

If your campaign takes place with the assumption that vehicles will be readily available, this archetype can be tempting, and there is no prerequisite, though casting classes will probably not choose it since they have a lot of demand for their actions in combat. Beyond that, I can easily imagine the fighter that jousts from a motorcycle, the gunslinger getaway driver firing their pistol out the window, and so on.

While not all of these drivers necessarily have the technical knowhow to build their vehicles, most will, so character studies on hot rodders, ace pilots, and the like are all quality inspiration for a character that leans heavily into this archetype, but don’t let that limit you either. What is universally true, however, is their love of going fast and being in complete control of their vehicle.

The Excelsior Engine Grand Prix boasts some of the most daring inventors, engineers, and pilots in the world, there to show off their latest designs for the fastest vehicles, and it attracts many curious sorts, including Galen the centaur, who had to design his vehicle from the ground up to accommodate his unique anatomy.

Two rival engineers have suddenly come upon the same problem: they’ve both forgotten the details of their latest vehicular inventions, and the blueprints were stolen as well. Both accuse the other, but the true culprit is a caulborn that devoured their memories and stole the plans. But who hired the psychic entity?